Scope and Content Note

This is a full-length version of the film Fidel: The Untold Story. The complete documentary is contained on 6 positive film reels, 6 film negative reels, and 6 sound track reels.

Scope and Content Note

A film of the event honoring Estela Bravo, focusing on the release of Anecdotes about Fidel at the Paley Center for Media. Bravo speaks with Pat Mitchell about her life and career, and responds to questions from the audience. Clips are shown from  Anecdotes about Fidel; There are also clips from other films that have dealt with Cuban-American relations, such as  Miami-Havana,  The Cuban Excludables, and  Operation Peter Pan: Flying Back to Cuba.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Content of this DVD is born-digital. Advanced notice is required to access these materials.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Recording is divided into 4 access DVDs. Runtimes: Part 1 - 00:29:22; Part 2 - 00:08:00; Part 3 - 00:00:09; Part 4 - 00:01:25.

Scope and Content Note

In this interview Philip Agee begins by talking about his work for the CIA and the fallout after the publication of his book Inside the Company. He discusses his opinions about Fidel Castro and interest in Cuban life and culture. For the bulk of the interview he talks about United States policy toward Cuba and CIA efforts to overthrow Fidel Castro. He also touches on controversy surrounding the Kennedy assassination and discusses Americans' views about the Cuban revolution.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:28:53.

Biographical Note

Juan Almeida Bosque (1927-2009) was an important figure in the Cuban Revolution and later a Cuban official. He was the only Afro-Cuban to participate in the attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953, and was also among the revolutionaries who participated in the 1956 Granma Yacht landing. He was later appointed the commander of the Third Front. During the US-sponsored Bay of Pigs operation in April 1961, Almeida commanded the Cuban military’s Central Army. Later a prominent figure in the Communist Party of Cuba, Almeida was, at the time of his death, Vice-President of the Cuban Council of State and its third ranking member.

Scope and Content Note

This interview is in Spanish. Juan Almeida, who met Fidel Castro in 1952, shares personal stories about his relationship with Castro and talks about his earliest memories of the political situation in Cuba leading up to the revolution.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:11:45.

Scope and Content Note

In this part of the interview, Almeida discusses the Cuban revolution, including his memories of the Moncada attack and the Granma landing.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:33:22.

Scope and Content Note

In this portion of the interview Juan Almeida shares stories about Fidel's relationships with such figures as Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos. He also provides other anecdotes and concludes with a discussion about his personal relationship with Fidel Castro.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:04:56.

Scope and Content Note

In this portion Juan Almeida talks about Fidel Castro as a symbol of the revolution, briefly discussing the significance of Castro's beard. He also talks about Castro's views of justice, his support of Angolan independence, and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. He later discusses his feelings surrounding Castro's failing health.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:28:36.

Historical/Biographical Note

Born Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad Martinez Hoya, Alicia Alonso (1921 - ) is a Cuban prima ballerina and choreographer. She and her husband lived in New York City for a time where she trained at the School of American Ballet. In 1959 they returned to Cuba. Fidel Castro invited her to head a new dance school (Ballet Nacional de Cuba).

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:24:30.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:21:46.

Scope and Content Note

In this interview Francisco Aruca discusses people's polarized views of Fidel Castro. He discusses his own feelings about Castro, and spends some time talking about Castro's curiosity for politics. In the interview Estela Bravo asks Aruca about the slogan "No Castro, No Problem." Aruca talks about what he believes are problems with the sentiments behind the slogan, and suggests that in the present political climate, Cuba would be destabilized without Castro.

Historical/Biographical Note

Francisco Gonzales Aruca (1941-2013) was a Cuban-American economist. He was a student at a Jesuit school in Havana at the time of the Cuban Revolution. He joined the counterrevolution and was arrested in 1961 by the Castro government. His political ideology later shifted in favor of the Cuban government, and he started the company Marazul Charters in New York with a goal of uniting fractured Cuban families.

Scope and Content Note

Estela Bravo interviews Miguel Barnet, Cuban writer, novelist, and ethnographer. The interview is mostly in Spanish, but Estela Bravo speaks English at times.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:14:23.

Historical/Biographical Note

Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn (1925 – 2014) was a British socialist and member of the Labour Party who served in House of Commons in the 1960s and 1970s. A leading member of Britain’s anti-war movement, Benn opposed the isolation of Cuba and was an admirer of Fidel Castro.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:28:59.

Scope and Content Note

In the beginning of the interview Estela Bravo talks with Tony Benn about the initial reception of the documentary Fidel: The Untold Story, and the negative reaction Cubans in Miami had to the film. The official interview begins around minute 4:45. Benn begins by talking about his interest in watching the Cuban Revolution, and the impact it has had around the world in the years following. Much of the interview focuses on Benn's views about Fidel Castro and his leadership in Cuba.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:31:04.

Scope and Content Note

Primarily an interview with Carlos Alberto Libanio Christo (Frei Betto). The final few minutes are a portion of Estela Bravo's interview with Philip Agee.

Historical/Biographical Note

Carlos Alberto Libanio Christo, O.P. (1944), better known as Frei Betto, is a Brazilian writer, political activist, liberation theologist, and Dominican Friar. He has been involved in various international efforts to support an understanding between Marxism and Christianity. During a visit to Havana in the 1980s, he met with Fidel Castro many times and, later wrote Fidel and Religion.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:25:24.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:16.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:00.

Scope and Content Note

The reference to 'tobacco' in the box annotations suggests (according to Estela Bravo) that this footage includes an event where Fidel was signing cigar boxes. "Chile" refers to Roberto Chile, who was Fidel's personal cameraman.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:21:51.

Historical/Biographical Note

Angela Maria Castro (1923-2012) was the eldest sister of Cuban revolutionary leaders Fidel and Raul Castro.

Historical/Biographical Note

Tania Frago Castro is the daughter of Angela Castro and a biotechnology specialist and an official in the Cuban Ministry of Health.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Umatic. Access DVD Runtime: 00:11:49.

Scope and Content Note

Ed Sullivan traveled to Cuba to interview Fidel Castro immediately after his victory in the revolution. Sullivan compares Castro to George Washington and calls him a "gallant young leader."

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:27:24.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:31:21.

Scope and Content Note

Angela Davis talks about her experiences in Cuba and her feelings about Fidel Castro. She discusses Cuban Americans and her opposition to the US embargo.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:30:10.

Historical/Biographical Note

Vilma Lucila Espin Guillois (1930-2007) was a Cuban revolutionary, feminist, and chemical engineer. She married Raul Castro in 1959, and later became President of the Federation of Cuban Women and a member of the Council of State of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party. She was the most politically powerful woman in Cuba and for many years considered the country's unofficial first lady.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Recording is divided into 2 access DVDs. Runtimes: Part 1 - 00:25:24; Part 2 - 00:03:26.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Recording is divided into 2 access DVDs. Runtimes: Part 1 - 00:22:06; Part 2 - 00:08:55.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:31:15.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:23:51.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:13.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:30:37.

Scope and Content Note

In this interview Estela Bravo asks Marshall Frady about people's criticism of Fidel Castro for human rights abuses in Cuba. Frady argues that many of the negative reactions against Castro were formed during the Cold War, and that much of the antipathy directed at Castro formed as a result of decades of poor diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States. The bulk of the interview focuses on popular perceptions of Fidel Castro, in which Frady describes him as a figure that inspired passionate reactions, both positive and negative. The interview is in English.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:19:28.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:02.

Historical/Biographical Note

Juanita Vera Garcia was Fidel Castro's official translator. She has also worked as the official translator for Raul Castro.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:31:50.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:22:40.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:26:22.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:24:23.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:30:01.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:26:55.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Recording is divided into 2 access DVDs. Runtimes: Part 1 - 00:16:31; Part 2 - 00:12:54.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Recording is divided into 4 access DVDs. Runtimes: Part 1 - 00:15:11; Part 2 - 00:01:50; Part 3 - 00:00:43; Part 4 - 00:11:41.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:26.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Recording is divided into 4 access DVDs. Runtimes: Part 1 - 00:05:26; Part 2 - 00:02:35; Part 3 - 00:01:20, Part 4 - 00:01:20.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:21:52.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:30:43.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Recording is divided into 3 access DVDs. Runtimes: Part 1 - 00:08:50; Part 2 - 00:18:34; Part 3 - 00:03:45.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Recording is divided into 3 access DVDs. Runtimes: Part 1 - 00:22:23; Part 2 - 00:01:32; Part 3 - 00:04:09.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:06:09.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:27:02.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:26:33.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:00:00.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:01.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:12:23.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:28:25.

Scope and Content Note

The footage begins with a 14-minute interview with Wayne Smith followed by almost four minutes of still photos, first of Fidel Castro and Smith, then followed by what appear to be photos in George McGovern's office, including photos of McGovern with Bill Clinton and with Castro. At around 18 minutes, the interview with McGovern begins.

George McGovern speaks in the interview about his first speech in the Senate (1963) on the subject of US-Cuba relations and his continued support for normalization. He talks about his initial meeting with Fidel in 1975, which lasted fourteen hours over the course two days. He later discusses the powerful influence the Miami Cuban community holds in respect to American foreign policy toward Cuba.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:23:28.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:30:18.

Historical/Biographical Note

Magda Montiel Davis (1953- ) is a Cuban American immigration lawyer who has pushed to improve relations between the United States and Cuba.

Historical/Biographical Note

Cosme Carceller Ordonez (1927 - ) is a Cuban doctor, specializing in Epidemiology, Emeritus Professor of the University of Medical Sciences in Havana, and director of a major clinic in Havana. He was captain of his high school basketball team, which also included Fidel Castro.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Recording is divided into 2 access DVDs. Runtimes: Part 1 - 00:16:56; Part 2 - 00:01:40.

Historical/Biographical Note

Robert Alan Pastor (1947-2014) was a member of the National Security Council Staff during the Carter administration. Responsible for US policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean, Pastor participated in the Carter administration’s efforts to improve relations with Cuba.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:01:52.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:16:46.

Scope and Content Note

Sydney Pollack begins by talking about the many failed attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro. He later describes his efforts to make a film in Cuba, and discusses difficulties imposed by US regulations. He mentions the Helms-Burton Act, and speculates about Bill Clinton’s views about Castro. Toward the end, Pollack attempts to provide a succinct description of Castro.

Historical/Biographical Note

Victor Rabinowitz (1911-2007) was a prominent American lawyer who was asked by the Cuban government in 1960 to represent Cuba in legal cases in the United States. In 1964, he won the Sabbatino case in the United States Supreme Court, which upheld Cuba’s sovereign right to nationalize American companies in Cuba.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:15:35.

Historical/Biographical Note

Charles Bernard "Charlie" Rangel (1930- ) is the US Representative for New York's 13th congressional district. He has supported easing the US embargo on Cuba and has expressed concerns about the activities of certain elements of the Cuban exile community in Miami.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:17:03.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:30:05.

Historical/Biographical Note

Jose Ignacio Rasgo (1925-2013) was a Cuban politician, journalist and exile leader, who in 1959 founded the Christian Democratic Party in Cuba. After the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista, he went into exile in the United States.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:20:19.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:18:24.

Scope and Content Note

In this continuation of the Marta Rojas interview, there is a series of stills, many from Castro's youth and some that relate to Moncada.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:28:19.

Historical/Biographical Note

Alex J. Rosenberg is a fine arts appraiser who works to bring Cuban art and culture to the United States.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:28:57.

Scope and Content Note

Estela Bravo speaks with Arthur Schlesinger about such topics as the Bay of Pigs invasion, the US embargo of Cuba, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the possibility of normalizing relations between Cuba and the United States.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:17:10.

Scope and Content Note

Schlesinger continues to discuss the US embargo on Cuba. He speaks about an incident involving Mayor Rudy Giuliani during Castro's visit to New York and toward the end discusses Castro’s legacy.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:21:15.

Scope and Content Note

Footage begins with Compay Segundo, followed by various other clips including Fidel Castro speaking to a group of young people.

Historical/Biographical Note

Marvin Shanken - publisher of Cigar Afficianado

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:49.

Historical/Biographical Note

Wayne S. Smith (1932- ) is an academic, author and former United States diplomat. Smith served as Chief of the United States Interest Section in Cuba from 1979 to 1982.

Historical/Biographical Note

Dudley Joseph Thompson (1917-2012) was a Jamaican Pan-Africanist lawyer, politician and diplomat. He served in the Jamaican House, the Senate and as a Cabinet Minister under Prime Minister Michael Manley.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:30:00.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:27:15.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:16:34.

Historical/Biographical Note

The Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr. (1930-2010), a Baptist minister, founded Pastors for Peace. At the invitation of Fidel Castro in 2000, Rev. Walker formed and headed the committee that allowed US students from underserved communities to study medicine at the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Recording is divided into 3 access DVDs. Runtimes: Part 1 - 00:04:50; Part 2 - 00:01:27; Part 3 - 00:03:46.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:35.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:17.

Historical/Biographical Note

Biran is a Cuban village where Fidel and Raúl Castro were born.

Scope and Content Note

In this video Fidel Castro compares the case of Elian González to the Vietnam War. In his speech he argues that Americans eventually supported González's return to Cuba once they were presented with the correct information about his case.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:31:25.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:42.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:02:32.

Scope and Content Note

This brief clips shows a greeting in Durban between Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro. There are two versions, one with music and one without.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:00.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:06:00.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:17:44.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:29:50.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:21:20.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

This tape is potentially damaged or unviewable.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 01:04:49.

Scope and Content Note

Much of the footage was filmed in Chile and Colombia. It contains an assortment of clips including: Castro meeting Latin American presidents; Gabriel García Márquez and his wife Mercedes; Castro speaking about inequality and justice; footage of Robert McNamara, Castro, and Jorge Risquet joking with each other around 00:27:00; a speech by Castro; and a celebration of Castro's birthday on plane. At 00:38:00 there is footage of a meeting in preparation for Pope's visit to Cuba. In another clip, Castro shows a set of Russian dolls and boxing puppets of himself and Bill Clinton, and around 00:56:00 there is a clip of a visit by Mohammed Ali and the Cuban boxer, Teofilo Stevenson. The sound drops out in intermittently throughout the video.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 01:31:33.

Scope and Content Note

The footage shows Fidel at the Rome Food and Agriculture Organization press conference in 1966; during visit to South Africa; at a reception line in Cuba; and in an interview with Diane Sawyer.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:30:33.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 00:20:36.

Scope and Content Note

This tape contains a variety of black and white ICAIC film clips, which are in Spanish. They show Fidel Castro in many different settings such as state visits (including to Indira Gandhi), speeches, among the Cuban people, playing chess, hugging African leaders, and at a school. Some of the clips are older and some are duplicated on other footage.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 01:03:40.

Scope and Content Note

This tape contains over an hour of very old clips and footage. The first 8 minute segment is from Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person television show with Fidel Castro and his son Fidelito. The footage that follows includes grainy clips of Havana after Batista fled Cuba and several shots of tourists leaving the country. These clips are mostly black and white and in some places there is no sound. Most are in Spanish, but there is a small amount of narration in English. There are also shots of enthusiastic crowds as Castro and his entourage travel through the countryside and into Havana. Some footage appears to have been shot in Harlem during Fidel's visit to the United Nations.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 01:02:21.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Original format Betacam. Access DVD Runtime: 01:32:45.

Scope and Content Note

This tape features footage of individuals including Pope John Paul II, Gabriel García Márquez, and Che Guevara. It includes clips of Fidel Castro visiting his home in Biran with García Márquez, talking about his youth, and planning the Pope's visit. Scenes also include speeches by Castro, and Cuban television recordings from the revolutionary period before the fall of Fulgencio Batista. Around 00:57:00 there is black and white footage from 1959 featuring post revolution celebrations, motorcades, and footage of Che Guevara. This footage includes speeches by Guevara and scenes of him performing charity work.

Scope and Content Note

Footage includes scenes of demonstrations outside Jimmy's Cafe and Fidel Castro's motorcade.

Scope and Content Note

Footage from demonstrations, both in support and in protest of Fidel Castro, as he visited numerous places.